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#FeedTheBeast | Manu matters

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Manu Vatuvei’s big statistics have been bandied about all week – 199 matches and 138 tries – but they don’t measure the depth and breadth of his total contribution to the Vodafone Warriors.

Undoubtedly the same will be the case when he lines up for his 200th NRL appearance for the club against Wests Tigers at his beloved Mount Smart Stadium tonight (7.30 kick-off; game day sponsor: SKYCITY).

In the build-up to the contest Vatuvei has been everywhere.

The club has run a concerted social media campaign - #FeedTheBeast – and there have been countless interviews as the man of the moment has spoken about the past, present and future. Among them was a captivating interview with Beau Ryan on The Footy Show while he also provided the cover feature for Big League.

All manner of tributes and recorded messages have flooded in for him from many of the game’s greats, former team-mates, opponents, television presenters and also Prime Minister John Key. Many of those were played at a special team dinner last night when Vatuvei was surrounded by his family, friends and team-mates. In a touching moment a tearful Vatuvei was presented with his 200-game jersey by his father.

Tonight can’t come soon enough for The Beast to do what he enjoys the most, being out on Mount Smart Stadium with his peers ever-willing to do what it takes to help the club he says has given him everything.

There have been countless games when Vatuvei’s wondrous try-scoring ability has lit up the side, or a bristling tackle-breaking charge out of defence has inspired the Vodafone Warriors and brought the crowd alive.

There have also been many games in his glittering career when he didn’t feature on the score sheet but his efforts were invaluable.

One of those was the play-off against tonight’s opposition at Sydney Football Stadium in 2011 when the Vodafone Warriors fell behind 0-12 early on and went to halftime 6-18 down. Coming off a heavy loss to Brisbane in week one of the finals, the outlook wasn’t encouraging.

But Vatuvei, as much as anyone, inspired the turnaround. Time and time again he brought the ball out of defence, thundering into defenders to get sets started. Gradually the Vodafone Warriors bit back into the contest until Krisnan Inu snared the dramatic match-winner late in the piece. It was the supremely selfless and humble Vatuvei who had done so much to help the cause through his sheer grit and hard work.

He has also always epitomised courage by routinely defying injury to play on through pain. One of those occasions was in 2008 when it was discovered he had played on against Gold Coast with a spiral fracture in his left fibula; he returned several weeks later against Manly, scoring a stunning try when he beat Brett Stewart only to be forced to leave the field immediately (it later transpired the leg was still broken).

It’s a testament to his toughness and passion that, despite an array of injuries, he keeps turning up season after season. After making five appearances in his debut season in 2004 and another 12 as he developed in 2005, the fewest games he has had in a year since has been 17 in 2008.

Another measurement of his value can be found in the win-loss numbers when he has played. Of his 199 games so far, 101 have been won, two draw and 95 lost. For some context, Simon Mannering has been in a winning Vodafone Warriors side 107 times, a losing one 107 times plus three draws; Ben Matulino’s numbers run 75-80 with two draws and Shaun Johnson’s 40-48.

Vatuvei’s try-scoring tally of 138 – which shows no sign of drying up – has him 61 clear of the next closest for the club (Stacey Jones on 77).

For all that it wasn’t until 2008 that Vatuvei scored his first career hat-trick. Fittingly it was a night of personal redemption, his return to Parramatta Stadium after his well-documented nightmare outing there in 2007.

There was so much focus on Vatuvei’s return by the Sydney media, the heat turned up even more because opposing him was a then-young Tony Williams. He was being hyped up as the next big thing, a player who would make Vatuvei’s return to Parramatta a harrowing experience. Not to be as Vatuvei totally dominated Williams by scoring three tries in a resounding 28-6 win.

Since that night he has scored five more hat-tricks – against Cronulla and Newcastle in 2010, South Sydney in 2011, Canberra in 2013 and Canberra against in 2014.

It says so much for his ability that his try-scoring strike rate remains exceptional, a testament to him that he can maintain such standards as a 29-year-old out-and-out winger now in his 12th season. Indeed in his last 30 games stretching back to late in the 2013 season he has scored 24 tries.

His season-by-season breakdown looks like:

2004 | 5 games 0 tries

2005 | 12 games 9 tries

2006 | 18 games 10 tries

2007 | 23 games 10 tries

2008 | 17 games 16 tries

2009 | 19 games 13 tries

2010 | 19 games 20 tries

2011 | 19 games 12 tries

2012 | 20 games 12 tries

2013 | 19 games 16 tries

2014 | 23 games 17 tries

2015 | 5 games 3 tries

Research provided by Sportsdata shows last season was the best of Vatuve’s career in terms of metres gained with an astonishing 3111 in 23 appearances.

Averaging almost 0.70 of a try a game – or, put another way, a try every 1.44 games, Vatuvei has made almost 2400 runs in his career and a total of 23,482 metres. That works out to an average of almost 11 runs and 120 metres a game.

So far this season he’s way above those numbers averaging more than 170 metres and 15 runs a game.

Career stats (averages per game and career totals):

Runs | 11.87 2363

Metres | 118 23,482

Kick returns | 1.54 306

Kick return metres| 18.48 3678

Linebreaks| 0.7 139

Tackle breaks | 3.66 728

Off loads | 1.07 213

Tackles | 4.36 867

Try assists | 0.18 36

Season highs:

Tries | 20 (2010)

Metres | 3111 (2014)

Linebreaks | 19 (2008)

Tackle breaks | 114 (2008)

Match highs:

Runs | 19 (Rd 6, 2009; Rd 13, 2012; Rd 22, 2014; Rd 3, 2015)

Metres | 239 (Rd 25, 2013; Rd 26, 2014)

Linebreaks | 3 (9 times)

Tackle breaks | 15 (Rd 2, 2010)

Stats | www.sportsdata.com.au

FIVE KEY FEATURES

#1 MANU VATUVEI | In a week when so much focus has been on him ahead of his landmark appearance, ‘The Beast’ will now want to get into the contest. He has been in outstanding form so far this season and couldn’t hope for a better place to play his 200th game.

#2 BEN MATULINO & JACOB LILLYMAN | The starting props were both impressive against Melbourne leading the team for metres gained, Matulino topping 160 metres and Lillyman more than 120. More of the same is needed tonight against an energetic Wests Tigers pack.

#3 KONRAD HURRELL | After a month on the sideline, Hurrell was back against the Storm, coming into the side late for the injured Ngani Laumape. He’ll be better for the run and will be a key in giving the Vodafone Warriors’ right edge plenty of punch tonight.

#4 SIMON MANNERING | Averaging more than 50 tackles a game so far, Mannering will revel in the opportunity of contributing to a special night for his long-time team-mate Manu Vatuvei. He’ll aim up all game as he always does; work rate personified.

#5 SHAUN JOHNSON | The Vodafone Warriors’ No 1 playmaker was heavily involved against the Storm, making more than 100 metres from 11 runs and backing up with a solid defensive workload making 19 tackles. He threatened to cut loose more than once.